THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disclosed that Revolution Now protesters who converged at the Unity Fountain, in Maitama, on Wednesday were arrested because they violated COVID-19 safety protocols.

Earlier in the day, about 60 protesters were reportedly arrested after police took over the protest which was staged to demand good governance.

The arrests were also made in Lagos, Ondo and Osogbo, capital of Osun State, where citizens trooped out, holding placards with several inscriptions, depicting the state of poor governance across the country, while demanding better governance.

However, Ikharo Attah, Chairman of the FCT Ministerial Task Team on COVID-19, said the protesters violated the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 guidelines of social and physical distancing, noting that most of them were seen without face masks, leading to their arrests.

Attah further stated that the protesters have been released, advising that they (protesters) always conform to all COVID-19 protocols to avoid the spread of Coronavirus.

“About 40 of them have all been released and been tasked to always conform with COVID-19 whenever they are out to protest,” he said.

“You have the right to association, right to protest, a right to freedom of speech and expression but as you do all of this you must always conform to COVID-19 health protocols.”

Although Attah said that protesters had the right to peaceful protests, Deji Adeyanju, a human rights activist who was part of the Abuja protest posted on his Twitter page pictures of protesters who were ordered to lie faced down by a team of heavily armed security agents.

READ MORE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/protesters-arrested-for-violating-covid-19-safety-protocols-fct-official/